So, I'm driving back from San Diego after doing a couple of shows. I look to the side of the road and there's a wooden-shack fruit stand.
It had the same old signs as all the other fruit stands I've seen on the side of the road. The signs read "Strawberries, Cherries, Papayas" etc.. and then there was one more sign. It said "Ostrich Eggs". Ostrich eggs?! Are you kiddin' me.
I immediately pulled over and talked to the guy at the counter. His name was Juan. I remember because it is like my name in Spanish. He was short on fruit, but he definitely had ostrich eggs. They were from a nearby ostrich farm.
He had two batches. One batch was for decorating, and the other was for eating. I couldn't leave without buying an ostrich egg! What other chance would I have.
I couldn’t wait to take it home to Shelley and the kids and tell them that it was dinner. At first they were grossed out, but it was actually a really fun experience and tasted pretty good.
The Big Lessons:
1.) Juan was selling something unique and unusual and he wasn't afraid to advertise as such. My guess is that he sells a lot of these things to out-of- towners. Let's face it, I wouldn't have pulled over if it wasn't for the ostrich eggs.
2.) When I bought the egg, I wasn't thinking about how good it would taste. In fact I was a little nervous about it. All I could think of was how my family would react to it when I brought it home. And what a neat experience it would be to try to cook the darn thing.
How 'Bout You?
Is your show something "different"? Do you offer something that is so fascinating that it gets people to pull off the road and almost wreck their car? Or are you simply trying to peddle the same thing every other entertainer in your field is? If it is different, are you stating the differences in all your promotional material? If it isn't different, is there any way you can give the perception of it being different, unique and unusual?
Is your promotional material itself different? Or do you have the same old 3 fold flyer that everybody else does? How can you make it look different?
And lastly, always remember, when you're selling your show, people aren't buying the magic or juggling act. They are buying the experience. They are buying the feelings they'll get whey they see it.
Click Here to see the video of Lily & I cookin' it up
See ya soon!
John Abrams
"Inspiring Live Entertainers to Create Innovative Marketing and Breakthrough Performances"www.RebelEntertainers.com
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